A Ramble through Smilie Land

Oh Gothic novel heroines are so annoying Id forgotten quite how much I dislike them, honestly no sense at all!

Then one night--it was the first balmy evening after the winter frosts--the moon was singularly bright, and the hood had fallen back from her head, just as her face was tilted upwards and her eyes glowing with enthusiasm. Then she knew that he had learnt to love her, not through any words which he spoke, for he was silent; his face was in shadow, and he did not even touch her; therefore it was not through any of her natural senses that she guessed his love. Yet she knew it, and her young heart was overfilled with happiness.

That evening when they parted he knelt at her feet and kissed the hem of her kirtle. After which, when she was back again in her own little room at Acol Court, she cried for very joy.

They did not meet very often. Once a week at most. He had vaguely promised to tell her, some day, of his great work for the regeneration of France, which he was carrying out in loneliness and exile here in England, a work far greater and more comprehensive than that which had secured for England religious and political liberty; this work it was which made him a wanderer on the face of the earth and caused his frequent and lengthy absences from the cottage in which he lodged.

I rest my case!

Now the problem is I really enjoyed Orczy's books when I was at the height of my early teens inhaling romance book stage... now Ive got to say they are painfully amusing... Id forgotten how tedious melodrama can be the "oh if you don't love me I will die mentality fah! I just wan to hit the character and yell get a grip man .

But those words once uttered, Richard felt that he could not now draw back. The jealously-guarded secret had escaped his lips, passion refused to be held longer in check. A torrent of emotion overmastered him. He forgot where he was, the darkness of the night, the lateness of the hour, the melancholy murmur of the wind in the trees, he forgot that she was rich and he a poor dependent, he only remembered that she was exquisitely fair and that he--poor fool!--was mad enough to worship her.

It was very dark now, for a bank of clouds hid the glory of the evening sky, and he could see only the mere outline of the woman whom he so passionately loved, the small head with the fluttering curls fanned by the wind, the graceful shoulders and arms folded primly across her bosom.

He put out his hand and found hers. Oh! the delight of raising it to his lips.

"By the heaven above us, Sue, by all my hopes of salvation I swear to you that my love is pure and selfless," he murmured tenderly, all the while that her fragrant little hand was pressed against his lips. "But for your fortune, I had come to you long ago and said to you 'Let me work for you!--My love will help me to carve a fortune for you, which it shall be my pride to place at your feet.'--Every nameless child, so 'tis said, may be a king's son ... and I, who have no name that I can of verity call mine own--no father--no kith or kindred--I would conquer a kingdom, Sue, if you but loved me too."

His voice broke in a sob. Ashamed of his outburst he tried to hide his confusion from her, by sinking on one knee on that soft carpet of moss. From the little village of Acol beyond the wood, came the sound of the church bell striking the hour of nine. Sue was silent and absorbed, intensely sorrowful to see the grief of her friend. He was quite lost in the shadows at her feet now, but she could hear the stern efforts which he made to resume control over himself and his voice.

see what I mean? Honestly some people , no logic that's the trouble with these types.
I do quite like this image though

Jealousy had killed all humility in him. Love--proud, passionate and defiant--stood up for its just claims, for its existence, its right to dominate, its desire to conquer.

Whats it called when you make feelings into people?

Later
the plot thickens but I really like this line!

"Afterwards, mistress," he rejoined enigmatically, "afterwards sits on the knees of the gods."

The thing I find about this book is that it is rather a disturbing look at the past, by what Ive uncovered from looking into the time ( oh the wonders of Google) is that it was practically a police state you know all those great dystopian novels?well they actually happened and if history really repeats itself I can see this happening again and that is scary!

another great line

Footprints!" he mused, "footprints which of a surety must mean that human foot hath lately trod this moss

Well Ive finally finished part one... and am now more than a third of the way to being done. I think there will only be one or possibly 2 more blogs to eeked out the Baroness.
finished in part 3